The road between Demon-Suppressing Pass and the mortal world had long since been cut off. Anyone wishing to enter the pass could only wait for a flying boat.
An old man sat leaning against the trunk of a bare tree.
He was utterly motionless, like a statue.
People traveled to and from Demon-Suppressing Pass in an endless stream, waiting on the mountaintop for a flying boat to break through the clouds and carry them to the pass.
By the time Li Ping'an and the others arrived, the line already stretched like a long dragon.
Xiao Jun glanced at the line. "How long are we going to have to wait?"
Zhang Song thumped his chest. "See that old gatekeeper? He and I go way back. I'll get him to let us cut in."
"Will that work?"
Zhang Song snorted. "What do you mean, will it work? Of course it will!"
With that, Zhang Song strode over, head high and chest out. "Hey, it's me. Do me a favor and let us cut in, would you?"
"No. Get lost!"
"You got it."
Zhang Song walked back. "He said the warming weather has caused sea levels to rise, directly causing eutrophication in the seawater, which in turn has led to massive algal blooms, red tides, and widespread insect infestations in Redwood Forest.
"On top of that, eutrophication in seas and rivers in recent years has caused plankton to multiply in huge numbers. These organisms release toxins and consume oxygen in the water, causing fish to die.
"Coastal fishermen can hardly catch any fish now, which has seriously affected economic growth.
"So we can't cut in line!"
Li Ping'an: ...
Xiao Jun said, "That sounds... really reasonable."
Just then, surrounded by several people,
an elderly man holding a young child's hand joined the line